Will there be no accountability for the relentless road crashes?

It is alarming to know that some 7,902 individuals were killed on roads in 2023, as per an estimate by Jatri Kalyan Samity. This is a horrific tragedy that we believe is a direct consequence of inaction and mismanagement by those in charge of our roads. When repeated appeals for safer roads fall on deaf ears, transgressions by transport associations are indulged, calls for accountability of relevant government institutions are ignored, and road crash victims do not get so much as an acknowledgement from the higher-ups, we cannot help but call these deaths murder by indifference.

It's no surprise that our roads are so dangerous, thanks to the proliferation of unfit and unlicensed vehicles, reckless driving by people who are often appointed without adequate training (or even licenses), and violations of road safety rules and regulations that go unpunished. Often, transport owners push for dangerous competition and long work hours among drivers, thus causing accidents.

And these unhealthy practices are sustained year after year by the inaction, irregularities, and mismanagement of those in charge. Despite frequent criticism, there have been no improvements in our traffic control mechanisms. Both existing road safety policies and their implementations also remain inadequate. For example, even six years after the nationwide road safety movement, that led to the enactment of the Road Transport Act, it is frustrating to see the law's total lack of effect due to the undue concessions granted to transport associations.

Every year, whenever any organisation presents reports on road killings, the BRTA is seen disputing the numbers instead of playing their role to prevent road accidents. Even one death caused by their negligence and mismanagement is one too many. With several ministries and many institutions dedicated to the transport sector, Bangladesh seems well-positioned to take on this challenge. Yet, it has frequently allowed citizens' safety to be compromised by the interests of the powerful political-industrial complex that controls the sector. This has to stop. We urge the government to make a serious effort to ensure road safety going forward.